


I can't save anyone

by Redhoodshood



Series: Non-Reader inserts Batfam [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman - Fandom, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Death, Gen, cursing, jason todd death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 11:52:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17283560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redhoodshood/pseuds/Redhoodshood
Summary: Jason has a nightmare involving the younger version of himself, when he was Robin.





	I can't save anyone

“You will fall someday. Every bridge you’ve burned will leave you stranded on an island of regret. Every choice you’ve made will surround you, hideous in their shame and merciless in their consequence. You will end how I did: alone, and betrayed.” Jason looked at his younger self. He knew it wasn’t real but he couldn’t help but snarl at the younger Jason Todd in his torn Robin suit and himself beaten and bruised from the Crowbar that had hit him again, again and again.

“Heroes don’t fall.” The little Jason Todd whispered though he couldn’t quite hide the slight trembling in his hands. He was chilled to the core by the sound of his older self’s voice, it was full of shame and regret but it was also masked with anger and fear.

“You are no hero,” Jason said looking away from His younger self. He couldn’t stand to see his younger self. “Maybe when you were young before you died, but now? Now you are a criminal destined to die along with no family.” unshed tears in his eyes.

“What about Bruce?” younger Jason looked pleadingly into the eyes of the older version of himself. Bruce was his role model, he was grateful to him for taking him off the streets and he is his father.

Jason only chuckled and slid down the cell wall with a shake of his head. “That bridge was burned when we were raised from the dead.”

“Why didn’t you go see him?”

“I tried, I pleaded for Bruce, believe me. I dug my way out of the grave calling for him, but all I was met with was nothing, I lived on the streets when Talia found me,” Jason sighed remembering what he so much wished to forget. “It was so Dark.”

It was silent for a moment before younger Jason began to speak again, “Do you fear the dark?”

“I fear what the dark has done to me,” Jason said shuddering at the thought that coffin that felt almost as if it had suffocated him. His fingernails ripped off as he tried to claw his way out gasping for air. It was such a terrible feeling like his lungs were on fire and the pain in his hands hurt as he made his way through the wood and dirt finally reaching the surface and getting fresh air.

It was painful breathing for the first time and oh god did he want to stay dead. He came back unnaturally, walking around mindlessly until Talia pushed him into the pit and then everything was a glowing green. The thought of that pit made his stomach turn and bile rise into his throat, god he did wish she would have just listened to her father and killed him. Just thinking of that shade of green made his skin crawl.

“You’re not a monster, you know?” Robin made his way over and sat next to Jason and gave him a little smile. He was bloodied and bruised but he still wanted to make himself feel better.

“I was always naΪve,” Jason whispered looking away from the small boy he once was. “I came back to Gotham labeled as a monster by everyone. Bruce doesn’t believe in me, Gotham doesn’t, no one does.” It was painfully hard for him to look at the much smaller frame of himself, to see the boy he once was in front of him and not being able to help himself. If he would have listened would it have turned out differently? He always wondered what would be different if he wouldn’t have gone to find his so-called Mother.

“There was always one person who believed in us,” Robin piped up once again breaking the silence, looking up to Jason. Jason just gave him a questioning look waiting for him to finish his sentence. “Mom, Y/n always believed in us no matter what we did.”

“Yeah you’re right kid,” Jason replied running his hand through his hair. Slowly the walls around the cell began to melt away. Jasons’ eyes darted around quickly wondering what was happening. He reached his hand out to grab the small robins hands as he was getting farther and farther away.

“Please take me with you!” Robin screamed trying to grab Jason’s hand, “Please!”

Jason couldn’t grab his hand but he was consumed into a dark room before he shot out of his dream. His heart was pounding and sweat dripped from every inch of his body. His hair was drenched in sweat as the dream replayed over into his mind. Just another time he couldn’t save the younger him, another time he couldn’t save himself. Another example of how he couldn’t save anyone, not even his best friend


End file.
